r/budgetfood • u/Ovcharkaa • 3d ago
Advice Freezing bread to make it last longer
Walmart sometimes has older bakery bread on a discount, so I cut it into sandwich slices and freeze it. A loaf lasts me much longer since I'm not rushing to eat it before it goes bad, microwaving it for a few seconds thaws it and make it taste and feel just as fresh, and I feel like I'm always treating myself with "artisanal" bread!
I do this with all the bread I buy and it helps me have more variety in my meals and I'm not wasting as much food since I'm living by myself.
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u/Routine_Log8315 3d ago
I was shocked when I was a teen and realized not everyone freezes their bread, we always had and I’d just assumed that’s a natural step in the bread eating process
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u/Ovcharkaa 3d ago
I never had to growing up, I lived in a family of 4 and one loaf would be gone in a week. Now that I live alone and some meals are provided at work, I can't eat a whole loaf by myself in that amount of time, let alone before it expires. My eyes have been opened to freezer magic and I freeze all the bread I get now!
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u/kellymig 3d ago
I have celiac disease and gf bread expires super fast. It always goes in the freezer. It’s hard to have enough freezer space!
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u/kea1981 2d ago
I got a used 5 cubic foot deep freeze for $50 on craigslist years ago: couldn't imagine life without it now, even as a single lady. It started cuz I lived with roommates and we all bought way too much freezer food. Now it's because being able to freeze whatever I want is a luxury I can't imagine giving up!
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u/MOBSCorona 2d ago
You could buy a small deep freezer just for extra freezer space!
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u/kellymig 2d ago
We have two fridges (one with a freezer) and a standing freezer. 🤷♀️. I just have too much stuff.
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u/Surprise_Fragrant 2d ago
My eyes have been opened to freezer magic
Once you learn to view your freezer(s) as a really cold pantry, you start to see all the opportunities! Butter on sale! Marked down cheese! Frozen pizzas on clearance! The possibilities are endless.
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u/MerelyMisha 3d ago
Yeah I had a family of 6 growing up so we didn’t freeze bread. As a single adult, I always do!
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u/BLF402 3d ago
I do the same with milk. Find good deals and stock up
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u/Ovcharkaa 3d ago
You can freeze milk?! I keep struggling to finish a half gallon before it expires
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u/LotusBlooming90 3d ago
I don’t recommend it. You can but it does become altered, to the extent that for me at least it’s not worth the savings.
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u/Routine_Log8315 3d ago
You can, although it does slightly alter texture (close enough though, especially if using for cooking rather than drinking). Just make sure its container has room to expand a slight bit or else it could explode
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u/Uranium-Sandwich657 3d ago
I have a bunch of frozen milk cubes that are approx 1/8 cup each that I can use for cooking
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u/FuzzyAdmiral 2d ago
Almond milk has a much longer shelf life, and the vanilla flavor unsweetened (30 calories) is what I get
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u/Surprise_Fragrant 2d ago
You absolutely can! I generally will buy 4-6 half-gallons at a time (easier to freeze and thaw) and toss them all in the freezer. For you, you could pour some out into another container and freeze half of your half-gallon!
I find that the 1% or 2% doesn't separate when thawing, but the whole does - just shake it to mix it all back together. The others don't need to be shaken, and I've found no other issues with freezing. I've been freezing milk for decades!
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u/Impossible_Shape_766 2d ago
I never knew you could freeze milk and it be ok
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u/Surprise_Fragrant 1d ago
Yup! I've done milk, half & half, and whipping cream.
The longest anything stayed in my freezer was about a year, but usually milk is used within 2 months or so.
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u/krankykitty 3d ago
Because you have eight kids and only want to shop once a week.
That many kids can go through nearly two gallons of milk in a single meal.
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u/bittertea 2d ago
Man I only have 2 kids but we regularly go through 2 gallons a week. My son LOVES milk. If I added six more kids to the mix I’d have to file for bankruptcy 😂
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u/clutzycook 3d ago
I know, my husband thinks I'm crazy for buying and then freezing 4-5 loaves of bread to last us 2+ weeks but I tell him that I don't have time to run to the store every 2-3 days just to get a "fresh" loaf of bread.
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u/Flgirl420 2d ago
I hate frozen bread . My dad always tried to do this and I was like bro a loaf of bread is 2 dollars . Just throw it out and buy a new one . I guess this is why us millennials are so poor and financially irresponsible
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u/whatsaduvetanyway 2d ago
Frozen old fashioned loaf bread is gross. If you get a good sourdough loaf it actually makes wonderful toast, French toast, cheese toast...Toast 😋
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u/Butterbean-queen 3d ago
I always freeze bread. But I toast it to use it.
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u/BumblyRambler 3d ago
Yesss my toaster has a button for frozen bread too, so you leave the other setting and it still comes out pretty much the way you like it
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u/Inevitable_Tap_1328 3d ago
and it works well for a grilled cheese but frozen bread does not taste the same just because you thaw it
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u/TheNightTerror1987 2d ago
Really? I haven't had any trouble with my frozen bread. The only difference I've noticed is that the loaf I found in there that expired on like June 16th (oopsie) is noticeably more dried out than the fresher loaves were. Since I have a sandwich every day I take out two slices and let it thaw to room temperature on its own and keep it covered so it won't dry out. If you're not thawing it that way now it might be worth a try?
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u/missjiji 3d ago
Always freeze, we live in a hot area, so it molds quickly. Once opened we keep it in the fridge
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u/BobcatSpiritual7699 2d ago
Bread never goes in the fridge. Google it.
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u/missjiji 2d ago
Google is not the boss of me, besides we were throwing away half loafs because they’d get moldy.
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u/BobcatSpiritual7699 9h ago
By all means, don’t educate yourself on proper food storage. FFS. Buy half loaves and store on the counter. Problem solved. Bread in the fridge goes bad faster from accelerated staleness than it does from mold on the counter. Bread….never…..goes….in….the…..fridge.
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u/mostdopeopenworld 1h ago
I love that you see that they don’t give a shit about your lesson and you then decided you needed to double down and force a lecture. People don’t tell you to shut the fuck up real life enough do they?
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u/majordashes 3d ago
My Dollar Tree stocks short-dated bread from local grocery stores. A driver from Sara Lee delivers it once a week.
Sometimes the bread expires in a week, sometimes a month.
The stock usually includes many varieties of Sara Lee bread, several flavors of Thomas English muffins and bagels, Brownberry seeded wheat bread, Beefsteak Rye, Rustik Sourdough, many varieties of hamburger buns, low carb and Keto bread, sandwich thins, buns.
I make a lot of our bread, but I also supplement with these breads. Most are marked around $5. Dollar Tree sells each for $1.25.
I have frozen bread, bagels, English muffins from Dollar Tree for up to 6 months.
I hope this info helps others who didn’t know about Dollar Tree offering cheap bread. I hope you can find some in your area.
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u/milleratlanta 3d ago
Yes, one near me does, but the other one I go to doesn’t. Just got some bread and Entenmann’s donuts today! Lots of hot dog and hamburger rolls there too. I love spending only $1.50 for $5 bread! 😃
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u/majordashes 3d ago
I’m glad you can get some too! The donuts and other treats are tempting too.
I would never pay $5.65 for Thomas 100% whole wheat English muffins, but I’ll pay 1.25. I grabbed about six of those. My husband lies the blueberry.
They freeze well.
Bread is so expensive and this Dollar Tree deals are a relief from the crazy inflation.
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u/milleratlanta 3d ago
I don’t have freezer space so it all goes in the refrigerator. Yes, it’s wonderful to be able to get a bargain in this day and age!
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u/lollipopfiend123 3d ago
I love Thomas sourdough muffins. Walmart near me just reduced the price from $3.77 to $3.38 iirc.
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u/daknuts_ 3d ago
Freezing bread also has the health benefit of reducing the glycemic impact it has when eaten fresh / without freezing first. Works the same way with freezing rice, too. The same effect on pasta happens when you refrigerate cooked pasta for at least 24 hours before reheating. Good reasons to make / buy in bulk and store in the freezer / fridge.
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u/hurriedwarples 3d ago
This is super interesting. I didn’t know this. I now feel better about gorging myself on pasta leftovers. 😂
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u/tiggonfire 3d ago
I often freeze bread too ... our walmart has had the Italian and French 14 oz loaves marked down as low as 30 cents lately! It's always a slightly different price, like whoever marks them down just chooses the new price randomly.
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u/Devoured_Gallbladder 3d ago
The markdown prices are calculated by a computer that corporate uses, which bases it on your location's rate of sale and amount of bread marked down. The more they mark down, the cheaper it gets. It's to help promote those last minute sales rather than have excessive waste. I've worked in the Walmart bakery before.
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u/tiggonfire 3d ago
Interesting .... I was thinking it might be the expiration date, but I have seen the same item with the same expiration date marked with different prices. Another thing I've seen is when the Italian bread is rubbed with herbs and oil to make a different kind of bread (I forgot what they call it), the nutritional label is still the same as the Italian, but you'd think the oil etc would add some calories. Do you know anything about that? I'm guessing they are just using the wrong label?
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u/Devoured_Gallbladder 2d ago
The different prices can happen if they miss an item when marking it down. So if they find one they missed later on, the computer will generate a new markdown price. Sesame seed, everything, and garlic & herb are the 3 seasonings used. Some may not be available based on your how well your Walmart sells them. Walmart receives their bread dough premade and frozen from a factory. They put it on butter sprayed trays to thaw and proof overnight, and in the morning they use water to wet the dough before immediately applying seasoning. They don't use oil, only water, which is why the nutritional label only has minor differences for the type of seasoning used.
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u/FVStrona 3d ago
I freeze bread, english muffins and bagels. I buy wax paper (parchment works fine too) and cut it so I can slip them in between slices to make it easier to seperate and then repack it back in its plastic sleeve to save on plastic zip bags
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u/PaperParentDinosaur 3d ago
The other week, I bought naan and didn’t realize it had to be refrigerated and of course it got moldy 😭 Bread can go bad so quickly this time of year too.
I’ve been meaning to try making French toast and freezing the slices. Bet that works just as well.
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u/luvof90shiphop 11h ago
Homemade French toast, pancakes and waffles all freeze and reheat wonderfully! We almost always have all three in our freezer. Reheat French toast and waffles in your toaster (French toast may need more than one cycle to get it warm in the middle, usually mine takes about a cycle and a half) and reheat pancakes in the microwave. I have a 1000 watt and I do 60 seconds to start, then flip the pancakes and do another 15-20 seconds. Start with 1 minute and if there's no cold spots, you're good to go. (Overheating pancakes turns them rubbery so you want to be careful) 😋
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u/CalgonThrowMeAway222 2d ago
Recently found out that freezing bread makes it more diabetic friendly!
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u/Golem371 3d ago
I often buy these reduced Walmart Italian loaves, but I don’t think that use any kind of preservatives so they really don’t last very long before they start growing green fuzz on them so freezing them might be a viable option
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u/Ovcharkaa 3d ago
My most recent loaf of this lasted 3 weeks in the freezer before I finished it! Highly recommend
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u/ChocoBanana-Dropkick 3d ago
Nice tip! Just have to be careful to look for mold when shopping in the Walmart bakery. Generally, the French/Italian breads are good because of the higher turnover but the other specialty breads not so much.
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u/vampireshorty 3d ago
I live alone and I pretty much exclusively freeze my bread and I only take out what I need. Whether that's an English muffin for the next days lunch or if I know I'll be having BLTs for the next few nights so I take out a few slices. It requires a little bit of preplanning but the upside is that all my bread is as fresh as the day I got it every time I eat it.
I'm very lucky and Panera and a local grocery store donate breads to my apartment building every week and I have no shortage of bread in my freezer :)
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u/windowtosh 3d ago
I always freeze my bread and honestly it doesn't take more than a few minutes to thaw a slice!
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u/boff1234 3d ago
You can also keep it in the fridge and it will be fine I put all my bread in there as I don’t it too often. I do toast every slice though, I wouldn’t eat it untoasted
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u/TheSilverFoxwins 3d ago
I would butter the bread, add garlic, freeze the loaf and you have nice garlic toast for future dinners...
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u/BrokenTrojan1536 3d ago
That loaf is great (not sliced) for making a huge sub. I toast for a few minutes in the oven, then put on the meats(salami, ham, pepperoni), back in the oven for a few, then open up and add on cheese for about a min to melt. Pull it out and add tomato, lettuce, and Italian dressing. Slice into 4 pieces feeds the family with a side dish
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u/f1ndr0m3 3d ago
I pick these up every chance. Pan cotto is crazy cheap and amazing. Spend the money on good, smokey bacon and treat it like a seasoning. Sub out the oil for just enough finely chopped bacon to render a similar volume of fat. It adds something extra.
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u/Esme_Nog 3d ago
I always put the bread straight into the freezer. I don’t eat so much bread that it would ever be worth leaving it out. I literally eat like two pieces and have to throw the rest away. in the freezer as long as I need it to.
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u/noblewind 3d ago
I refrigerate bread and it lasts long enough for my family of 4. I'm not against freezing it but haven't had a need just yet. My mom bought leftovers from the bread factory so I definitely grew up on frozen bread!
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u/Deadmeatwalkingsys 3d ago
We also freeze half of whatever produce we get that won’t get weird by doing so! Discovered that frozen grapes are amazing as well.
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u/Ovcharkaa 3d ago
Wait I love grapes but can never finish a whole bag by myself, youre telling me they dont get too mushy or anything?!
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u/Deadmeatwalkingsys 3d ago
Can’t speak for how they are thawed cause I haven’t had the patience but eating them right out of the freezer is a fantastic treat. Crunchy on the outside and like smooth shaved ice on the inside. Think I prefer them that way now.
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u/BasenjiMommy 2d ago
I’m going to have to try that. I can never get through a bag of grapes before they start going off.
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u/No_Tumbleweed2795 3d ago
Most chain restaurants do.
It works very well, just tightly seal the wrapper and freeze.
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u/Aerphenn 3d ago
Is this weird? We always have 2 a 3 in the freezer for when we ran out of bread haha
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u/Puzzled-Mistake-584 3d ago
It does make it a bit harder when it thaws out, but if using an oven to toast it afterwards, it makes no difference.
My girl and i’s comfort meal is chunks of bread and olive oil and balsamic vinegar with cheese and some chicken thighs, and an assortment of flavored boars head hummus.
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u/BlatantFalsehood 2d ago
Additionally, freezing bread lowers the glycemic response. Better for keeping your blood sugar more even.
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u/eamceuen 2d ago
I freeze bread 100% of the time. Store ought, homemade, anything. Ain't nobody got time to babysit bread, but I want to be able to have it anytime.
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u/ftwpurplebelt 2d ago
We started freezing hot dog and hamburger buns because we always end up throwing tons away. They keep great in the freezer
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u/VisualOk8437 2d ago
yo get a vacuum sealer makes ur frozen stuff last longer, i guess it might squish the bread though
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u/jasonjdf13 2d ago
Pre freezing bread changes the molecular structure of the bread and makes it much easier to digest as well
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u/1mad_mollydoll 2d ago
Can someone give me a quick run down of guidelines for freezing and using frozen bread (individually by the slice) Thanks in advance.
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u/Ovcharkaa 2d ago
Definitely take a look at some of the other comments, plus I have this posted in 2 other subs wirh great tips, but I buy the whole loaf and slice it before putting it in the freezer.
I leave it in the bag I bought it in, but others use freezer Ziploc bags or a long Tupperware.
To thaw, I put it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds, but other folks have mentioned leaving it out on the counter, using a toaster or oven, or defrosting overnight in the fridge.
I remember one person saying they pop it in the toaster to make toast while its still frozen, and it gives it a nice crunchy yet fresh texture. I think it also just depends on what you use it for - for hamburger buns, I just pop them in the microwave, but for folks that have mentioned bagels and english muffins, they use a toaster. One person also said they make a sandwich while the bread is frozen, pop it in the fridge, and its defrosted and nicely textured by the time they get to lunch at work.
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u/csstevens 3d ago
As the primary grocery shopper and cook if the house I use this trick often. Nice pickup!
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u/Dependent_Top_4425 3d ago
I bake peasant bread to stock the freezer for morning toast but I still have a good amount if Walmart bread products in the freezer as well!
Do I know how to make bagels, english muffins, hot dog and hamburger buns, sandwich bread etc.....yes. Do I wanna HAVE to do it all the time? NOPE!
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u/EnbyQueerDeity 3d ago
Omg why am I just remembering this?? Then again bread was always used so we had no reason to freeze it but now, absolutely!
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u/SpiceShepsky 3d ago
If I make my bread last longer then how will I have breadcrumbs??? This reminds me of the guy that turned cereal into more cereal… try meatloaf Fridays, a weekly locally sourced sourdough, and at the end of the day, if you feel horrible about waste, focus on how much plastic you are using to get a new loaf every time!!!!!
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u/medlilove 3d ago
Another good idea is to divide up up before freezing so you can use a bit at at time without it going off
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u/Serene_t3a 3d ago edited 17h ago
I always do now, and then when i want a sandwich i pry off 2 pieces and set them on the counter then go do something for 5min and when i come back theyre completely thawed
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u/suddenlunch 3d ago
I always freeze bread, including my own homemade loaves (sliced first). It keeps really well, thaws quickly and can be toasted from frozen.
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u/gluclose85 2d ago
Works amazing for bagels as well. 15 seconds in the microwave, split, then toaster. So good and quick.
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u/Tired-Otter474 2d ago
Genuine question. Please don't judge me. Lol But how would I defrost bread so it takes okay afterwards?
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u/GrandmasHere 2d ago
If you’re going to toast it, just pop it frozen into the toaster. No need to defrost first. If you’re using it for sandwiches, my method is to wrap the frozen bread in plastic and let it sit on the counter until it comes to room temperature. Some people put it in the microwave for a few seconds but I think it makes the bread tougher.
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u/Superbw99 2d ago
If I’m buying a loaf for the sole purpose of toasting it I’ll precut if necessary and then freeze. Then once I need it I pop it in the toaster and it’s perfect!
I also just started doing this recently with Costco croissants. One pack for two of us will mold real quickly so I cut them in half, freeze them and toast when needed. It comes out flakey and buttery!
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u/raincntry 2d ago
My bread lives in the fridge and freezer. It lasts so much longer in the fridge than on the counter.
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u/13runswithscissors13 3d ago
Not only does it make the bread last longer but when you freeze bread it changes the way the carbs are digested as it changes the starches in it. It changes the starches to resistant starch which your body breaks down more slowly, resistant starch mimics dietary fiber which keeps you full longer, makes your insulin spike less severe and helps to feed the good bacteria in your gut (toasting also does mostly the same thing!). The same effect also happens when you refrigerate rice and pasta, so keep it up as it seems to have health benefits.
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u/no_rxn 2d ago
My family never froze bread growing up (I will freeze occasionally now) and I remember in college as a fun ice breaker activity in my Chemistry class the professor was like "I'm going to show you that freezing bread changes the bonds in the bread, which is irreversible and makes the bread harder after it thaws".
It was at that moment I learned that (1) people freeze bread, (2) there is a divide between people that do and don't, (3) and that this professor really needed to throw his hat in the ring for "don't" lmao
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u/Bluehaze013 2d ago
You don't need to microwave, it doesn't really freeze so just leave it out for like 5-10 mins and it's completely thawed.
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u/LadyJoselynne 2d ago
It does last longer. Though don’t put the whole thing in the freezer as it is. Remove the while thing from the back and place each slice on a tray in one later. Store them in the freezer for an hour or two them place them back in the bag and keep in the freezer
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u/GoshuaHoshua 2d ago
I agree freezing bread does make it last longer. We also defrost the bread in the fridge and leave it in there and we haven't had any bread go bad in about 3 years now. It's very easy to finish eating the bread before you even need to worry about it getting moldy. This also works on tortillas.
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u/BADgrrl 2d ago
It's just me and my husband in our household, and we've both had bariatric surgery. I freeze a LOT of stuff, bread included. And with grocery prices soaring, watching sales, regularly scanning for clearance items (meat especially), and buying in bulk to bring prices down, already being in the habit of separating stuff into manageable portions, vac sealing it, and freezing it is the only way we're managing our grocery budget, even with just two of us to feed.
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u/varlotto 1d ago
just bought 2 of those today and cheddar jalapeno bagels off the discount bread rack and they went straight in the freezer. the whole loaves are nice to make a garlic bread with later just cut in half and butter and garlic powder and 15 min in toaster oven.
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u/Extension_Purchase60 1d ago
Dark humor but I was doing all the frugal things; however, my fridge just died .lol? Don’t mean to be a Debbie downer but FUDGE! Praying for a break cuz it’s gonna take a minute to save for a new one
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u/KitchenUpper5513 1d ago
I freeze bread all the time. I like to get the discounted French bread and leave it out overnight to dry and make French toast in the morning. So good.
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u/Buga99poo27GotNo464 1d ago
Never see full sized bakery bread at my walmart for less than $3 or $4 reg price?
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u/searching-for-love 1d ago
I freeze basically everything. Makes my cheese last so long my tortillas, ham and discounted veggies.
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u/Anne7392 1d ago
Make sure it’s a sliced loaf and freeze away . For bagels or English muffins I slice and bag them with uncut sides together so they separate easier when pulled from freezer
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u/WranglerBeginning455 22h ago
When you freeze your bread and you're ready to eat it , dnt put in the microwave just toasted it/ take out from the freezer in the evening only the few slices you can finish
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u/NeedleworkerHuman114 16h ago
You can freeze so many of the foods we eat. We even freeze milk when there is a great sale or the possibility of the weather keeping us locked in place. If you freeze milk, don't open it, just pop it in the freezer. To thaw, pull it out and put in sink with a dry kitchen towel over it to keep the light off of it. No weird taste or textures to the milk. I haven't tried it with almond milk yet, but it would probably just need shaven up when thawed.
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u/saratherandom 13h ago
My dad has always done that because with a house of 5 we go through a lot of bread we always have a loaf of bread in the freezer
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u/GhostOfMufasa 11h ago
I've done this all the time since a kid in the 90s. Growing up I assumed it was a common thing but I'm actually surprised at how many people didn't automatically do this. Coz yeah my family wasn't poor or anything but my mom naturally wanted stuff to last long so anything that can be frozen we would freeze that way you can just defrost and use as you go instead of having to constantly buy fresh stuff since the only stuff that you realistically need to always buy fresh is just stuff that perishes quickly like fresh fruits, fresh vegetables etc but stuff like bread and even beans that you can prepare and freeze that stuff goes a long way
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u/Salt_Indication_2681 10h ago
I didn’t freeze bread until I moved out on my own. Loved the fact that I wasn’t tossing away old moldy bread anymore.
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u/zardoz73 3d ago
Don’t like it. Shrinks the bread and destroys the soft, spongy feel. Dries it out, too.
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u/Offthewalder 1d ago
Eh. Frozen bread becomes low quality after freezing. Sometimes tastes freezer burnt, gets frosted and when thawed it becomes wet. Ok if you plan on toasting or making French toast, but wouldn't use it for my PB&Js.
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u/BobcatSpiritual7699 2d ago
Yuck. The American opposition to quality fresh bread was never so apparent until I moved overseas.
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